


Back in Good Company

by MarieBoheme



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Dimitri Week 2019, F/M, Fluff, Pre-Relationship, Tea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:33:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21841477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarieBoheme/pseuds/MarieBoheme
Summary: For the first time in a long time, he was nervous.Written for Day 2 of Dimitri Week 2019 - Tea Time.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 6
Kudos: 110





	Back in Good Company

For the first time in a long time, Dimitri was nervous. 

He had spent an inordinate amount of time staring at his reflection that morning. For years, ever since he’d left the academy, he hadn’t taken much stock in his appearance or basic personal hygiene. Instead, he’d been solely focused on maintaining his base needs so he could survive long enough to realize his ultimate goal of revenge.

But today was different. He needed to make sure he looked his best. Or at the very least, presentable. Having decided to abandon his usual bulky armor for the day, he’d managed to scrounge up some more casual clothing from one of the abandoned dormitory rooms, adopting a look reminiscent of his academy days. He’d done his best to remove weeks of grime during a length visit to the sauna, and had even made an effort to tame his hair and clean his eyepatch. 

Still, he couldn’t help but feel anxious as he fiddled with his hair and clothing, frowning at himself in the small mirror on his desk. It would have to do for now. After all, he didn’t want to be late for his first tea time with the Professor in over five years. 

His nervousness only worsened when, upon exiting his quarters, he ran into a group of his former classmates returning to the dormitories following a sparring session. 

“Woah now, what’s this?” Sylvain commented loudly, slinging an arm around Dimitri as he looked him up and down. “Where are you going to look like _that,_ Your Highness? You got a hot date planned?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he answered, trying to pull himself away from Sylvain’s one-armed embrace. “I just thought it was time I made myself look a bit more presentable.”

Felix shook his head, crossing his arms in front of him. “Just because you take a bath and comb your hair, doesn’t mean you’re any more civilized than before. You just look like a boar that thinks himself human.”

Before Dimitri could form a response, Ingrid stepped forward, grabbing both boys by the arms and pushing them ahead. “Enough, you two. You should know better than to speak so improperly in front of your future king.”

He flashed Ingrid a grateful look as she led the two bickering friends away. As he made his way across the dormitories and to his destination on the ground floor, he thankfully avoided running into any more of the monastery’s inhabitants. 

Dimitri hovered for a few moments before taking a deep and knocking on the door. Almost unconsciously, he nervously clutched and unclutched his fist as he waited. It didn’t take long for the door to open before him. As soon as she came into view, Byleth gave him a soft smile.

“Dimitri,” she greeted him warmly, sounding slightly surprised, as if she had been expecting him to not show up. He wouldn't blame her for making that assumption. “It’s good to see you. Come in.”

The tea and pastries were already set up on the table, just as extravagantly as he remembered from his academy days. Despite the war, Byleth still put an extraordinary effort into her presentation. Although she’d been a complete stranger to tea time when she first arrived at Garreg Mach, she now treated it as a sacred ritual.

He couldn’t help but feel awkward and out of place as he took a seat at the table. It had been so long since he’d engaged in such a sophisticated and commonplace activity. If Byleth noticed his nerves, she didn’t show it as she quietly took her place across from him and began to pour him a cup of tea. He mumbled his thanks as he inhaled its scent.

He smiled wistfully as he recognized the blend. Chamomile. She remembered.

“It’s still your favorite, right?” she asked as she took a sip from her own cup, reaching out to grab a pastry from the pile in the middle of the table. 

He simply nodded as he took a sip of the drink, surprised when he could sense a hint of the flavor. “Did you brew this differently, Professor?”

She smiled, resting her head in one hand. “Ah, I’m glad you picked up on that. I prepared you a separate pot with a rather ridiculous amount of tea bags.” He noticed that there was indeed a second smaller tea pot at her side, which she undoubtedly had poured her own cup from. “I was hoping if I increased the concentration you might be able to get at least a hint of the flavor. Did it work?”

He nodded slightly before taking another sip. “Yes, I believe so. It’s very subtle, but it’s the closest I’ve gotten to actually tasting chamomile since I was a child. Thank you. I’m touched you would make an effort like this for me.”

“It was my pleasure,” she smiled again at him. 

From there, the conversation moved to combat tactics. Although it was usually a subject that came easily to Dimitri, especially with his former professor, he couldn’t help but feel that he wasn’t quite on his game this afternoon. He was instead overly focused on making sure that he was moving right, sitting right, and for the most part displaying proper table manners. Just the other day, Gilbert had reprimanded him for the way he was eating his supper. He didn’t want to pull off a similar faux-pas in front of the Professor.

Partway through their discussion on how to most efficiently utilize their magic users in future battles, Byleth finally decided to call him out on his strange behavior. “Are you alright, Dimitri? You haven’t been this nervous during tea time since the first time we sat together.”

He pointedly avoided looking her in the eye. “It’s nothing, Professor.”

“You’ve never been a good liar,” she told him with a smirk as she leaned forward so that her elbows rested on the table. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”

Dimitri sighed, placing his cup on the table before staring at a spot above her shoulder. “If I may be forthright, Professor. I still feel quite ashamed about my behavior around you these last few months. Around everyone. It makes me wonder, when placed into these situations” —he gestured at their set-up—“whether I am still even capable of acting like a normal human being. Or whether I will slip up and do something uncouth, uncivilized.” 

Byleth said nothing, waiting for him to continue. His gaze shifted to the door. “I hear the talk around the monastery. People still think me a beast. They are watching every move I make, waiting for me to do something monstrous.”

“Dimitri,” she began softly. He turned to look at her. It pained him to see her frowning, knowing that he was the cause of it. “I was hoping you’d know by now that I won’t judge you for what happened in your past. I want this to be a space where you feel comfortable. I want you to be able to talk to me about anything.” 

She paused as she attempted to find her words. To his surprise, she reached out and placed her hand atop of his where it rested between them. His breath hitched at the contact. “I’m not going to pretend that the war hasn’t forever changed you, but you’ve already come so far since I first found you all those months ago. It’s one of my greatest regrets that I couldn’t be there for you during those years that I lost. But I’m here now. So if you feel yourself slipping again, I hope you’ll reach out to me, or to one of your other companions. We all care about you. Even Felix, despite his many protests to the contrary.” A smirk teased her lips at that last part. 

Dimitri chuckled, already feeling lighter at her words. Her hand still rested on his, soft and warm. He quite enjoyed the sensation. “Thank you for your kindness, Professor. And for inviting me today. Despite my worries, I have quite enjoyed this reprieve.”

“So have I,” she responded brightly. “I hope that we can do this again sometime soon. I have missed your company.”

With that, she let go of his hand, and he instantly missed the warmth of her touch. As she reached over to take another sip of her tea, she once again flashed him a small smile. Something about her expression, about the way she was looking at him, sent an unfamiliar but pleasant feeling coursing through his gut. For the first time in a long time, he couldn’t help but feel like a young boy again. 

He gladly returned her smile, his previous nerves having now evaporated. “I look forward to it.”

**Author's Note:**

> So here's my first attempt at a fic for Dimileth/FE3H! Dimitri and the Blue Lions stole my heart this summer, and I wanted to get a couple of pieces out to celebrate my love for the character and this ship. I have a longer piece planned for later this week, but I thought I'd start off with something shorter and fluffy. Hopefully I managed to capture Dimitri's personality. Thanks for reading!


End file.
